Heavenly Court battlefield.
Immortal Level Killing Move — Dragon Roar Wave!
Immortal Level Killing Move — Flash Step!
Amid the fierce battle, Lord Dragon's figure suddenly appeared on the right flank of the Myriad Year Battle Chariot.
He was too close!
Almost the instant he materialized, the Dawn-Breaking Sword Swarm that circled the Myriad Year Battle Chariot surged forward, instantly engulfing Lord Dragon.
Countless dragon-shaped tattoos surfaced across Lord Dragon's body, blocking the violent onslaught of the sword swarm.
This was Lord Dragon's primary defensive Killing Move — Nine Dragon Pattern Shield!
"Nine" was merely a loose figure, signifying countless tattoos. It was a rare passive defensive measure that normally lay dormant against Lord Dragon's skin. The moment he came under attack, it would activate entirely on its own — requiring no conscious thought from Lord Dragon whatsoever. Incredibly convenient.
Lord Dragon relied on this move to brute-force withstand the Dawn-Breaking Sword Swarm's assault, then brought both hands together into a single fist.
Immortal Level Killing Move — World-Shaking Dragon Hammer!
BOOM!
Under the Dragon Hammer's devastating blow, the Myriad Year Battle Chariot was sent flying.
The Myriad Year Battle Chariot was knocked back, then suddenly froze as the surrounding space collapsed violently — like countless shards of broken glass. Every shard was razor-sharp, and each one that struck the Myriad Year Battle Chariot carved deep gashes, annihilating a massive number of Gu Insects. Standing at the bow, Fang Yuan himself took a bloody cut across his cheek.
This was Cang Xuanzi's doing — using Space Dao Killing Moves to lay invisible traps across the battlefield. Their power was truly formidable!
But this scene had merely flashed through Fang Yuan's mind. It had not yet occurred.
This was a Time Dao Killing Move — Three Breaths Later!
Three Breaths Later was a scouting Killing Move from Hei Fan's True Inheritance, allowing a Gu Immortal to glimpse the next three breaths of their own future.
Amplified by the Dao Marks surrounding Fang Yuan, its power had increased by a staggering fifteen hundred fold, making it effective even in battle against powerhouses of Lord Dragon's caliber. However, since the move was inherently only Seventh Transformation in rank, it was not always reliable — sometimes it worked, sometimes it failed.
The next instant.
Immortal Level Killing Move — Dragon Roar Wave!
Immortal Level Killing Move — Flash Step!
Lord Dragon's figure suddenly appeared on the right flank of the Myriad Year Battle Chariot, exactly as the Three Breaths Later scouting move had foretold.
Fang Yuan let out a cold snort and immediately maneuvered the Myriad Year Battle Chariot away, narrowly brushing past the invisible Space Dao trap.
"What a pity!" Cang Xuanzi watched this unfold with deep regret. Fang Yuan had been mere inches from triggering the Space Dao trap.
She hovered high in the sky, making no obvious movements, while secretly layering Space Dao trap after Space Dao trap, silently laying them across the battlefield.
Having fought Fang Yuan for so long, the combat experience slumbering deep in her memory had grown vivid once more. Cang Xuanzi's methods were becoming increasingly masterful.
Ever since she had reached a secret accord with Immortal Venerable Yuan Lian over three hundred thousand years ago, Cang Xuanzi had moved to Heavenly Court and lived a quiet, stable life, rarely lifting a finger in battle. But before that, her reputation and status as an Ancient Legend had been earned with her own hands!
Fang Yuan stood atop the Myriad Year Battle Chariot, dodging and evading while keeping his gaze fixed on Cang Xuanzi from afar.
Although Cang Xuanzi's combat strength was steadily recovering, her fighting style was unmistakable. She retained the habits of an Ancient Desolate Plant — in battle, she preferred to anchor herself in one position and strike from a distance, using Space Dao methods to widen the gap between herself and her enemies, all while laying Space Dao traps.
This fighting style also betrayed her temperament: she liked to sit patiently with her fishing rod, possessing great endurance. But at the same time, it meant she was not aggressive and rarely took risks.
Although Cang Xuanzi still harbored many mysteries, Fang Yuan was gradually getting a read on her. In contrast, Lord Dragon remained inscrutable and unfathomable.
Although Fang Yuan had fought Lord Dragon in his previous life and knew most of his methods, Lord Dragon's combat style was endlessly variable — now conservative, now aggressive, suddenly attacking ferociously, then dodging with ease. It was impossible to pin down, impossible to find any clear pattern.
This level of combat mastery went beyond mere experience. It was Lord Dragon's innate talent!
For Fang Yuan, defeating Cang Xuanzi was difficult but plausible. Defeating Lord Dragon, however — as of now, he still saw not the slightest possibility.
"Unless I can directly break through Lord Dragon's defensive Killing Move!" Fang Yuan's mind raced.
Lord Dragon's primary defensive Killing Move was the Nine Dragon Pattern Shield, and Fang Yuan had been gathering every clue he could during the fight, constantly analyzing it.
But his efforts yielded almost nothing.
Cracking an enemy's Killing Move on the spot, in the heat of battle, was an exceedingly difficult thing to do.
More than the Nine Dragon Pattern Shield, Fang Yuan would have preferred to crack Dragon Royal Guest. But that move was even more traceless — he didn't even have a channel to search for intelligence on it.
In theory, the Life Steal Killing Move would have been the ideal counter against Lord Dragon, but after testing it personally, it proved useless...
"Wait — have I overlooked something?" Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Fang Yuan's mind.
But just as he tried to dig deeper, an incoming attack interrupted his thoughts.
He didn't need to look to know — it was the Demon Slaying List making its move.
This Eighth Transformation Immortal Gu House was indeed a troublesome foe!
It had no weaknesses. Its speed was extraordinary, not inferior to the Myriad Year Battle Chariot, and its defenses were formidable. Fang Yuan could break through with brute force, and in a one-on-one fight, the Demon Slaying List was certainly no match for him — though it would cost considerable effort.
Theft Path methods were the ideal counter against Immortal Gu Houses, but using them right now, right in front of Lord Dragon and Cang Xuanzi, was far from easy.
Currently, Fang Yuan had transformed into an Ancient Year Monkey, paired with the Myriad Year Battle Chariot — a perfect combination. The moment he switched to Theft Path Dao Marks, his combat strength would plummet, giving Lord Dragon and Cang Xuanzi an opening.
What concerned Fang Yuan even more was this: even if he transformed into a Theft Path Ancient Desolate Beast and unleashed the Great Thief Ghost Hand, he might not even hit the Demon Slaying List. And even if he did, he might not be able to steal any Immortal Gu. Qin Dingling had already largely neutralized Fang Yuan's Fortune Path advantage, and the Demon Slaying List housed Gu Yue Fang Zheng — in terms of fortune, Fang Zheng naturally countered Fang Yuan even further.
So the Theft Path was not the correct approach to turning the tide.
"Fang Yuan..." At this very moment, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, who was commanding the Demon Slaying List, found his emotions in a complicated tangle.
Was Fang Yuan his blood brother?
Not exactly.
Fang Yuan's body had been replaced, and his soul was that of a Heavenly External Demon.
Was he a stranger?
No.
The memories of childhood and youth could not be erased. The two of them had truly once relied on each other.
Was he angry?
Yes.
Fang Yuan had manipulated him, disregarded his life, and planted him in the Langya Blessed Land — surely for some sinister purpose.
Was there hatred?
Of course.
Fang Yuan's massacre of their clan was the shadow and nightmare of Fang Zheng's childhood.
Then what else, beyond all that?
After everything he had been through, Fang Zheng had gradually come to understand Fang Yuan — and sometimes even had to admire him.
When a man walks the martial world, he is not his own master. Fang Zheng had slowly come to recognize his own shallowness, gaining the self-awareness to see it. The so-called Grade A Aptitude had been nothing but self-indulgence. Fang Zheng was growing more mature by the day.
Beyond understanding and admiration, Fang Zheng even harbored a thread of gratitude toward Fang Yuan.
He was grateful for the setbacks Fang Yuan had given him, the suffering, the trials. All of it was wealth — it had helped Fang Zheng grow into who he was today. Without the upheaval and displacement he endured in the chaos of the Langya Blessed Land, how could Fang Zheng have ever assimilated the myriad cultivation experiences of the Demon Slaying List's master and forged the Blood Kin Heart Vengeance Killing Move on his own?
Once, Fang Zheng had dreamed of this day — the day he could face Fang Yuan in battle and take his revenge with his own hands.
But now that the moment had truly arrived, Fang Zheng's feelings were far removed from what he had imagined. There was no thrill of vengeance, no satisfaction of transcendence.
His emotions were complicated. Incredibly complicated.
"Lord Dragon, Cang Xuanzi, Fang Zheng, and Qin Dingling — and beyond them, Fairy Zi Wei." Fang Yuan was caught in the encirclement, his expression growing grimmer by the moment.
As Lord Dragon grew ever stronger and the Heavenly Court Gu Immortals coordinated with increasing precision, Fang Yuan was forced to devote nearly every thought to maintaining the battle.
His ability to assess the overall situation was steadily deteriorating.
Whether activating Killing Moves or piloting the Myriad Year Battle Chariot, everything demanded tremendous mental exertion. On top of that, Fang Yuan still had to oversee the greater picture, monitor every battlefield, and covertly influence the Immortals across the various regions.
In truth, Lord Dragon and the others faced the same strain. As the battle intensified, they activated their Killing Moves with greater frequency. The more powerful the move, the more steps it required, the more Gu Insects it involved, and the more mental energy it consumed.
"If Fairy Zi Wei finishes recovering and enters the fight — or takes command of the overall strategy — it will be extremely unfavorable for me." A cold gleam flickered in Fang Yuan's eyes.
"Hahaha!" Lord Dragon suddenly burst into laughter. He had just received the latest update from Maojiao Mountain. "Fang Yuan, no matter how many times you are reborn, it is useless. Use everything you have — if you don't, it will be too late."
Fang Yuan's face was as dark as still water. He, too, had received the latest news.
At the Emperor City battlefield, he had lost his clone Fang Tichang, and the Bean God Palace had defected to the enemy. At Maojiao Mountain, Feng Jiu Ge had appeared — a single Song of Fate of absolutely devastating power, forcing even Emperor Zang Sheng onto the defensive!
Heavenly Court's reserves truly ran unfathomably deep.
Fang Yuan was not merely fighting Lord Dragon and the others. He was clashing against millions of years of accumulated might!